Do you booch?
Kombucha is a tangy, fizzy, probiotic drink that has been labeled the latest “American craze” when it comes to health trends. Made by fermenting black tea using “symbiotic ‘colony’ of bacteria and yeast” (SCOBY), drinking kombucha comes with a lot of benefits. Historically, kombucha was either home-brewed or locally brewed, but in recent years commercially bottled brands have become available at US retail locations, and it’s now the center of a multi-million dollar industry. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Reese Witherspoon and Halle Berry are all over this trend, and here’s why they’ve got the right idea.
Probiotics. Kombucha is a fermented food and is chock full of healthy probiotics, which are live bacteria and yeast that keep your gut healthy. The gut of a healthy person is made up of 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria, but if that ratio gets out of whack, serious health problems can result. Consuming regular doses of probiotics ensures gut health since it refreshes the good bacteria in the GI tract. The healthy bacteria in kombucha break down food, making the nutrients more easily accessible to the body, and keeps the food moving along nicely throughthe colon. Studies indicate that preserving a healthy gut is essential in reducing the chance of colon cancer.
Detox. Kombucha’s role in promoting a healthy gut goes beyond digestion, it benefits your immune system as well. 60-70% of the immune system is actually in the gut, so keeping it healthy keeps your natural defense system going. Also, when going about daily living, it’s nearly impossible to avoid exposure to toxins, but you can take a proactive role in preventing their accumulation by consuming the right foods. Fermented foods possess the enzymes which have the unique ability to degrade or destroy toxins and remove them from the body. Talk about an all-natural detox!
Weight Loss. Bacteria regulate the inflammatory response in your body. By eating fermented foods, you can reduce low-grade inflammation in the body which may be preventing you from losing weight. Further, studies show that restoring the gut to a healthy state aids in maintaining a healthyweight, as gut microbes influence the body’s insulin resistance and deposition of excess calories in fat stores. Lastly, kombucha is a great low sugar and low calorie alternative to many other bottled drinks you can find at your grocery.
To get on board with this trend the #FFACTORAPPROVED way, try our Bucha-Rita recipe.